Every company in the trucking industry is looking for factors that will assure it of a sustainable competetive advantange. But for most of the sources of competetive advantage (e.g. core competence, time compression, continuous improvement and partnership) companies must pay more attention to human factors. In fact, the barriers to adaptive capability are largely social not strategic. For the trucking industry the question of human resources is characterized by four distinct levels if resources, i.e. top management, operational management, front line employees, and sub-contractors. This paper's focus is specifically on the first, second and third levels. In concluding this paper, the author writes that specific programs addressing training needs for driver are well underway. Once these are in place, the industry will need to put research at a higher level and maybe start looking at such matters as driving simulators: their needs, functions, and applicability. On the management side, the industry must begin thinking the European way and start seriously working on the establishment of a Canadian Training Institute for Road Transport. In Europe most countries have a training Institute that deals specifically with the questions of training for road transport personnel. The tasks and objectives of this Institute could be to develop curriculum, standards of training and programs for senior managers. Possibly, it could also maintain the integrity of the programs developed under the joint EIC/Industry IAS program for truck drivers. But most important, the mission statement of this Institute should be to focus on quality and productivity standards for human resources. For the covering abstract of the conference, see IRRD 807771.
Abstract